integrated regional water management

Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) planning is an effort to manage all aspects of water resources in a region. IRWM crosses jurisdictional, watershed, and political boundaries; involves multiple agencies, stakeholders, individuals, and groups.

The Santa Cruz IRWM Plan was developed in response to California’s IRWM planning initiative to promote an informed, locally-driven, and consensus-based approach to water resources management. The following are the goals for the Santa Cruz IRWM Plan:

Provide a safe, reliable, and affordable water supply to meet current and expected regional demand without causing undesirable environmental impacts.

​In 2011, the California Department of Water Resources awarded funds to support and update the Region’s IRWM Plan, through the collection of critical data to evaluate resource water management strategies in the region. From 2011 to 2015, a couple studies were done:

Watsonville Sloughs Hydrologic Study: developed and implemented strategies to improve this wetland ecosystem

Aromas and Purisima Groundwater Basin Management Study: planning and feasibility analysis to examine the potential for redistribution of groundwater pumping between the Aromas and Purisima Formations near the boundary of the Central Water District and Soquel Creek Water District.

Santa Margarita Groundwater Model Update: An update of the groundwater model is study groundwater levels and stream base flow. Groundwater levels in the Santa Margarita Basin have declined over 200 feet in the past 30 years, and the Basin is impacted by significant contaminant plumes.